Roberto Prieto was the manager of Juan Manuel Santos’s re-election campaign in 2014. He is one of the Colombian political operators with the most judicial fronts over Ruta del Sol. This piece does not follow the sentences, but the money. It reconstructs three distinct flows. The million dollars that Odebrecht paid to the 2014 campaign in polls and studies, and which never reached the National Electoral Council. The 650 million pesos that a concessionaire paid him for pressuring the National Infrastructure Agency. And the US$400,000 in posters that the construction company financed in 2010 and which he himself acknowledged. It also explains which part of that money was punished and which returns to the courts in 2026. The analysis by fronts is in Prieto’s case file at Auditoría Abierta.
The short answer. Roberto Prieto’s money moves through three channels with different destinations. Odebrecht’s million dollars of 2014 cost him a 12-year disqualification in 2023 and a criminal charge in July 2026. The 650 million pesos of Ruta del Sol III cost him five years in prison, already served. The US$400,000 in posters of 2010 were never punished because the National Electoral Council declared the matter time-barred. As of 8 October 2026, Prieto has been free since 2022 and is disqualified until 2035. The new charge has no verdict.
Who Roberto Prieto is and why his case matters in October 2026
Prieto was Juan Manuel Santos’s trusted man in two presidential campaigns. He managed the 2014 campaign and, by his own confession, ordered the posters for the 2010 one. He entered the Odebrecht case through a statement by Otto Bula, the construction company’s intermediary in Colombia. Bula told prosecutors that one million dollars of the bribes was earmarked for the campaign manager.
His case matters for this series because it shows how the same money can be punished through different routes. The 2014 million was first a disciplinary offence and is now an alleged crime. To follow the judicial decisions one by one, Bajo Lupa publishes its Prieto case file.
Timeline of Prieto’s money, decision by decision
| Date | Body | Decision | Evidence level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Odebrecht and Impressa Group Corp | Payment of some US$400,000 in posters for the Santos campaign | Confessed by Prieto in 2017 |
| 26 March and 28 April 2014 | Odebrecht | Payments of US$1 million in polls and studies via Paddington Ventures Limited | Documented by the Procuraduría |
| 2017 | Otto Bula, before prosecutors | Testifies that US$1 million of the bribes was going to the manager of the Santos campaign | Testimony |
| 14 March 2017 | Prieto, on Blu Radio | Admits that Odebrecht paid for the 2010 posters | Own confession |
| 28 August 2018 | National Electoral Council | Declares its power to sanction the 2010 campaign time-barred | Final |
| December 2020 | Procuraduría | Calls him to disciplinary trial for not reporting the 2014 million | Proven |
| 22 February 2021 | Prosecutors | Announce a money-laundering charge over more than 500 million from Yuma and Consultores Unidos | No known formalisation |
| 2022 | Trial judge, under a plea agreement | 5 years for forgery of a private document, influence peddling and undue interest; 650 million of Ruta del Sol III | Final, served |
| April 2022 | Sentence enforcement judge | Release after serving the sentence at Cantón Norte | Proven |
| June 2023 | Procuraduría General de la Nación | 12-year disqualification for lying in the income and expenditure report to the National Electoral Council | Final |
| August 2023 | Odebrecht Case Analysis Group (Graco) | Report that reactivates the criminal track over the 2014 million | Prosecutorial report |
| 4 July 2026 | Prosecutors | Announce a charge for illicit enrichment and procedural fraud | No verdict |
Flow 1: the million dollars of 2014 and how it was hidden
The central money in this file is the US$1 million that Odebrecht paid to the Santos campaign in 2014. According to the Procuraduría, the payments were made on 26 March and 28 April 2014, according to Infobae. They did not arrive as a donation. They went to polls and electoral studies contracted with the company Paddington Ventures Limited and carried out by the campaign’s advertising firm. The aim, according to the investigation, was to divert attention from the construction company’s real donation. That million never appeared in the income and expenditure report that Prieto submitted to the National Electoral Council.
In December 2020, the Procuraduría called him to disciplinary trial for not reporting that in-kind income, according to Infobae. In June 2023 it sanctioned him with a 12-year disqualification from holding public office, exercising public functions or contracting with the State. It concluded that he lied in the report submitted to the National Electoral Council. The sanction came when he had already served his criminal sentence over another flow of money.
2026: the same million returns as a crime
On 4 July 2026, prosecutors announced that they would charge Prieto with illicit enrichment and procedural fraud, according to Infobae. The facts are the same payments of March and April 2014, now on the criminal track. In addition, the charge includes an alleged irregular collection of vote reimbursements which, according to Semana, amounts to almost 16,000 million pesos. The case was reactivated on the basis of a report by the Odebrecht Case Analysis Group of August 2023. It came amid enquiries from US justice about the progress of the investigation, according to Infobae. As of the date of the sources consulted, the proceedings were at an initial stage, without a verdict.
Flow 2: the 650 million pesos of Ruta del Sol III
The second flow is the only one that ended in prison. Prieto pressured the National Infrastructure Agency to add a Ruta del Sol III contract for the Yuma concessionaire, according to El País. In exchange he received 650 million pesos. He was held for close to a year at La Modelo prison in Bogotá while negotiating with prosecutors. In the end he signed a plea agreement. He accepted forgery of a private document on two occasions, influence peddling and undue interest in the award of contracts, according to Semana. His exposure dropped from between 12 and 16 years to a five-year sentence. He served it at the Cantón Norte military garrison and was released in April 2022, according to Infobae.
This flow has a parallel trail. On 22 February 2021, prosecutors announced a money-laundering charge over more than 500 million received through contracts with Yuma and Consultores Unidos, according to KienyKe and Infobae. His lawyer argued that nobody can be tried twice for the same facts. In July 2024, prosecutors indicted his sister-in-law, Natalia Isaza, for receiving 59 million through invoices for work not carried out linked to that contract, according to Infobae. There is no record of the charge against Prieto being formalised. To understand how that money left the ANI, Auditoría Abierta publishes the case file of Luis Fernando Andrade, the agency’s former director.
Flow 3: the 2010 posters Odebrecht paid for
The third flow is the oldest and the one Prieto confessed. On 14 March 2017, on Blu Radio, he admitted an «irregular operation» in the 2010 campaign, according to El Tiempo. Odebrecht paid some US$400,000 in posters to the Panamanian firm Impressa Group Corp. «I ordered the posters and they told me (the money) came from Odebrecht», he said. He maintained that Santos did not know. Santos stated in a video that he was unaware of the payment, according to Semana. The contribution was never reported to the National Electoral Council. However, the confession had no consequences. On 28 August 2018, the Council declared its power to sanction the 2010 campaign time-barred, according to El Tiempo. That money remained documented and unpunished.
What Prieto says and what his accusers say
Prieto pleaded not guilty to the original Ruta del Sol III charges and later accepted a plea agreement. On the 2010 posters, he confessed. On the 2014 million, he maintains that Santos was not involved. The Procuraduría concluded that he lied to the National Electoral Council. Prosecutors now name him as the beneficiary of illicit enrichment. Otto Bula, the witness who put him on the map, maintained that Odebrecht’s million was destined for the campaign manager. Bula himself was convicted of bribery and illicit enrichment in 2020.
How to read this case file
Three keys. First: these are three distinct flows with three destinations. One led to prison, another to disqualification and a charge, and the third went unpunished because it was time-barred. Second: the 2026 charge is criminal and is based on the same facts already sanctioned in 2023. A disciplinary ruling is not a conviction, and neither is a charge. Third: the 16,000 million figure for vote reimbursements comes from Semana and forms part of the accusation, not of a proven fact. To compare with another Ruta del Sol operator with three final convictions, Bajo Lupa publishes the case file of Bernardo «Ñoño» Elías.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How much money did the Santos campaign receive from Odebrecht, according to the courts?
US$1 million in 2014, paid on 26 March and 28 April in polls and studies through Paddington Ventures Limited, according to the Procuraduría. In addition, Prieto confessed some US$400,000 in posters for the 2010 campaign. Neither amount was reported to the National Electoral Council.
Why was Roberto Prieto in prison?
For pressuring the National Infrastructure Agency to favour the Yuma concessionaire on Ruta del Sol III in exchange for 650 million pesos. He accepted a plea agreement, received five years and served them at Cantón Norte. He was released in April 2022.
What sanction did the Procuraduría impose on him?
A 12-year disqualification from holding public office, exercising public functions or contracting with the State, in June 2023. The Procuraduría concluded that he lied in the 2014 campaign’s income and expenditure report by omitting Odebrecht’s million.
Why is he being charged again in 2026?
For illicit enrichment and procedural fraud, as prosecutors announced on 4 July 2026. The facts are Odebrecht’s million of 2014 and an alleged irregular collection of vote reimbursements of almost 16,000 million pesos. It is a charge, not a conviction.
What happened with the 2010 posters?
Prieto admitted on 14 March 2017 that Odebrecht paid some US$400,000 in posters to the Panamanian firm Impressa Group Corp. On 28 August 2018 the National Electoral Council declared its power to sanction that campaign time-barred. There was no punishment.
What did Otto Bula say about Prieto?
That one million dollars of Odebrecht’s bribes was earmarked for the manager of Santos’s 2014 re-election campaign. That statement before prosecutors was the first allegation against Prieto in the case.
Was Prieto convicted of money laundering?
No. Prosecutors announced a laundering charge on 22 February 2021, over more than 500 million received from Yuma and Consultores Unidos. There is no record of it being formalised or of any verdict. His sister-in-law, Natalia Isaza, was indicted in 2024 over 59 million linked to the same contract.
Until when is he disqualified?
The 12-year disqualification imposed in June 2023 runs until 2035. It bars him from holding public office, exercising public functions or contracting with the State.
Sources consulted
- El País (Colombia): Roberto Prieto condenado a cinco años de prisión (2023)
- Semana: Cinco años de condena para Roberto Prieto (2022)
- Infobae: Roberto Prieto cumple su condena por el caso Odebrecht (2022)
- Infobae: Roberto Prieto a juicio disciplinario por Odebrecht (2020)
- Infobae: Por caso de Odebrecht inhabilitan a Roberto Prieto (June 2023)
- Infobae: Roberto Prieto será imputado por enriquecimiento ilícito y fraude procesal (4 July 2026)
- Semana: Roberto Prieto será imputado por la Fiscalía (2026)
- El Tiempo: Entrevista de Roberto Prieto sobre dinero de Odebrecht en campaña de Santos (14 March 2017)
- Semana: Santos habla del escándalo luego de declaraciones de Prieto (2017)
- El Tiempo: CNE declaró caducidad en la investigación contra campaña de Santos (28 August 2018)
- KienyKe: Defensa de Roberto Prieto rechaza nueva imputación por Odebrecht (2021)
- Infobae: Fiscalía imputa a Andrade, Prieto y cuatro personas más por la Ruta del Sol III (22 February 2021)
- Semana: Juez deja en libertad a Roberto Prieto (2022)
- Infobae: Cuñada de Roberto Prieto acusada de lavado de activos (2024)
This piece records documented facts and allegations attributed to their authors. The mention of an allegation does not imply its truth, and the position of the person named is recorded in each case. Bajo Lupa Digital offers Roberto Prieto space to respond and will update the text with every development. Information verified as of 8 October 2026.
Investigative Journalist and Data Specialist
Mijael Galvez Aleman is an investigative journalist specializing in the auditing of public resources, the financial analysis of government management, and data journalism in the region. His work focuses on tracking budget flows, state contracts, and regulatory backgrounds to audit the exercise of power using a methodology strictly based on official documents.
At Bajo Lupa Digital, he leads database cross-referencing and documentary verification for in-depth reports. His work ensures that each investigation is fortified by rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis, offering readers a transparent, verifiable perspective free from political speculation.